Five Mexico players fail drug test, ‘tainted chicken’ is blamed

The Mexican Football Federation has confirmed that five of its players have failed drugs tests at the Gold Cup.

Each of the tests conducted on May 21st showed traces of the anabolic agent clenbuterol, which the federation says came from eating contaminated meat.

Antonio Naelson is one of five Mexican players to have failed a drugs test at the Gold Cup.

The players in question are four Mexico-based footballers – goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa , defender Edgar Duenas and midfielders Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson – and PSV Eindhoven defender Francisco Rodiguez, all of whom have now been suspended.

Decio De Maria, general secretary of the Mexican federation, pointed to the fact that Tour de France star Alberto Contandor recently failed a drugs test by eating clenbuterol-infected meat as he sought to explain the results.

‘What is presumed … one had to ingest contaminated materials – meat or chicken,’ he said.

‘Now comes the tough part, taking the players off the squad and opening an investigation. Meanwhile, it is a disagreeable moment to take this kind of decision, but we have to take responsibility.’

Germany’s anti-doping agency NADA advised athletes back in April not to eat Mexican meat, because traces of clenbuterol in it could cause involuntary positive results in doping tests.

However, at the time, Mexico vehemently denied it had any such problem with its meat products.